Taufik Hidayat

Taufik Hidayat

Personal information

Date of birth August 10, 1981

Place of birth Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)

Weight 64 kg (140 lb; 10.1 st)

Taufik Hidayat (born August 10, 1981, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia) is an Indonesian badminton player. He is a former world champion and a former Olympic champion in men's singles. He has also won the Indonesian Open six times (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006).

Hidayat played badminton at the 2004 Summer Olympics in men's singles, defeating Hidetaka Yamada of Japan and Wong Choong Hann of Malaysia in the first two rounds. In the quarterfinals, Hidayat defeated Peter Gade of Denmark. Hidayat advanced to the semifinals, in which he beat Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand 15-9, 15-2. Playing in the gold medal match, he defeated Korean Shon Seung-mo 15-8, 15-7 to win a rare gold medal for Indonesia at the Olympics. In August 2005, he defeated world number one Lin Dan of China in the men's singles final of the IBF World Championships.

Player Attributes

Hidayat's qualities are his backhand (Taufik is most famous for his backhand smash, which has been recorded at over 200km/h), forehand drop shot (reverse slice in particular), forehand jump smash, net-play, smooth footwork and occasional deceptive shots (such as his fake smash and fake drive, both of which he plays as drop shots). He has weaknesses in is his propensity to make errors, his impatience with loud crowds and his penchant for returning a net shot with a net shot, even when the opponent is dangerously close to the net. His style mirrors Zhao Jianhua to some reviewers. Hidayat is known for his relaxed smooth playing style. His lack of consistency and mental fortitude are often points of criticism.

On top of his amazing profile, he also has an impressive record. He was the number 1 seed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, at the age of 19. He also won his first Indonesia Open title when he was just 18. He had got to the All England final when he was 17.

To date, Taufik is the only male badminton player in the world ever to win the Olympics (2004) and the World Badminton Championship that took place in the following year (2005), apart from Lin dan who won the Olympics in Beijing 2008.

Achievements

• 6 times won men's singles Badminton Indonesia Open (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006)
• 2 times won badminton men's singles Asian Games (2002 and 2006)
• 1 time won men's singles Badminton World Championships (2005)
• 1 time won men's singles Badminton Summer Olympics (2004)
• 2 times won Thomas Cup with Indonesian Badminton National Team (2000 and 2002)
• 3 times won men's singles Badminton Asia Championships (2000, 2004 and 2007)
• 2 times won men's singles Singapore Open (2001, 2005)
• 1 time won men's singles Malaysia Open (2000)
• 1 time won men's singles Macau Open Badminton Championships (2008)
• Won the Brunei Open at the age of 16
• Won gold medal at individual event (men's single) after defeating Singapore men's single Kendrick Lee Yen Hui with straight-set 21-15, 21-9 and won gold medal for men's team event at SEA Games (2007)
• 2 times Runner-up men's single Badminton All England (1999, 2000)
• 1 time Runner-up men's single Badminton French Super Series (2008)